


And by the power of a word, I start my life again, I was born to know you, To name you,  Freedom.

by em_wickersham



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-05-16 21:06:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5840974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_wickersham/pseuds/em_wickersham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It never had been easy. To be the new one."</p>
<p>∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞</p>
<p>Or the fic where Clarke, after having moved in the french Alps, joins the ski-club of her village where she meets its goldenboy, Bellamy Blake.<br/>Also a lot of sport, chills and a constellation of other characters & relationships !</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. CHAPTER I

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are mine, sorry if I let some slip from my eye !  
> First fic here, so please be clement with me & let me know what you think !

It never had been easy. To be the new one. All these eyes always staring, checking on you. Even though Clarke had always been kind of a loner, she wasn't used to all those judging eyes. At least, in the United States, back in her old life, Wells was there and they supported each other, no matter what. But here, in France, eyes were burning more than ever without Well's reassuring presence by her side.   
For the 1000th time, she cursed her mom silently. What on earth could have gone through her mind when she had decided to move to France, over 5000 miles from their life ? And in the middle of Clarke's school year ? In two weeks, they had left everything behind and moved in the french Alps, so that her mom could be promoted chief-surgeon of a very fancy and famous hospital in Evian-les-Bains. Fortunately for Clarke, she had studied french in high school, back in Louisiana. But still, this brutal uprooting was difficult for her ( being thrown all alone in a completely new world would be disturbing for anyone ! ) Even if Clarke knew her mom was a bit comprehensive about her situation, she was mad at Abby for leaving everything they had always known without a single look behind. She also knew that after her dad's death, Abby had started closing on herself, locked in her burning pain and sorrow, and that her job, beside her daughter, was her only escape from the distress she was almost constantly feeling. Clarke had understood leaving the US was the only way for her mom to start opening up again, to stop the suffering of her wounded heart. But again, it was really harsh and brutal, and Clarke had never felt lonelier since her father's death. She wanted desperately her mom to be happy again, but for that she had to shut down her own feelings and accept to sacrifice her habits and her comfy life in New Orleans with Wells. The ghosts back there were weighing on her too and somewhere she understood the choices of her mom to leave them in the closets of NOLA.   
She looked up at the clock and felt panic storming inside her, as it was showing 8.57am, meaning she was gonna be late for her very first class. “I don't even know where the room is !” She had been so overwhelmed by her thoughts that she hadn't seen time go by. She glanced at her timetable and felt a little bit reassured, as she had an English class.   
After 5 minutes of active search in the hallways, she finally found her classroom, and after a knock and a deap breath, she opened the door. The small amount of relief she could have experienced a few moments earlier immediately vanished. She felt like a sacrificial lamb when a dozen pairs of eyes gauged her as she was entering the room. The silence was total and her little brown boots, whose heels were clicking on the floor and didn't seem so bad this morning, were burning on her feet. The teacher, a middle-aged brunnette, must had felt her profound discomfort as she told her :  
“ Hi there, you must be Clarke. I am Mrs. Carter, welcome to my class. Please go find a seat and make yourself comfortable, we'll see about the administrative issues at the end of class.” She was speaking with an heavy British accent and Clarke suddely felt a fierce need to hug this woman with such a familiar and comforting accent.   
A voice suddenly resonated in the back of the room. “ There's an empty spot near me, she can come there !” Clarke turned around and saw a tall girl, with long dark hair, stand up. Quickly, she crossed the room and sat next to the girl, who introduced herself as Octavia Blake.  
“Clarke. Clarke Griffin”, she said back.  
“That's a nice name ! And I love your accent, where're from ?  
“New Orleans.  
“That's kinda exotic compared to here ! How's life there ?”  
Clarke smiled in front of so much enthusiasm. Octavia was a dazzling girl, with her dark hair tangled into multiple braids running on her shoulders. “She's the exotic one” thought Clarke, as she continued discretly admiring the girl. Her dark skin and her blue-grey eyes, glowing like sapphires into her high cheekbones, gave Octavia a unique and breathtaking look. But what was also astonishing Clarke was the kindness of her classmate. She had been there for only 5 minutes and Octavia was already drowning her with questions and compliments, and she was talking as they had been friends forever. 

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Clarke spent the day with Octavia. Although it was hard to keep up with her – this girl was a tornado -, she didn't feel as anxious as she was in the morning. French people were very welcoming after all, minus the fact that they were always looking at her as if she was an alien. “Give them the time to process the fact that you're a born and bread American,” Octavia had told her, “we've got plenty of British here but never had a real Yankee !” Octavia had then told her that she was half american on her mom' side and that she was born in the US, but that she had always just known France and had grown up there.   
“My brother does remember a bit of Colorado, where we used to live , but we moved out when he was 4 and I 6 months old. My dad was a French ski champion and we have come in France to be near him, he had a chalet in Abondance, a few miles from here.  
“ Was ?” Clarke couldn't help but notice the use of the past in Octavia's words. She immediately regretted it when she saw an painful flash cross Octavia's crystal eyes. “I'm sorry, just forget it, I shouldn't have – ” she started but Octavia cut her sentence.  
“Don't worry, it's okay.”, she said with a sad little smile across her face. “Actually I never really knew him, he left us when I was 1 year old. Simply, in a morning, he and some of his stuff were gone, and we never saw him again. I just know him through the pictures and the things my mom tell me about him, but that's it.  
“And your brother ? How did he react ?”, asked Clarke.  
“He idolized him, so you can guess he didn't react very well. He couldn't understand why his daddy had left him with his mom and his sister, but he enventually got over it, but not completely. I can't stand the fact that he had to grow up in a instant to help his struggling family to make ends meet. Today he still has to work after his studies to help our mom, and he doesn't want me to work because he says I have to focus on my studies !”  
“I kinda get him, he just want you to achieve the best without having to worry constantly about everyone else, like he has to do, sadly.”, said Clarke with a soft voice.  
“But I know I can do both, and I want to help ! We're brother and sister after all, if there's something we have in common that's our stubborness !”, Octavia claimed. “What about you ? I haven't heard anything from your family yet !”  
“There's not much to say. My mom is a cardiac surgeon, she's been promoted her as the head of the ward in the hospital. And my dad...” Clarke held her breath as she felt the familiar little pinch deep in her heart. “He died in a car accident when I was 12. He was an engineer, and when he was coming back one night from his work, he got hit by another car whose driver was drunk. He was born here, in France, and his parents owned a chalet in Abondance ; my mom inherited it when he passed away, that's why we moved here this month. In New Orleans, there were too much for us to handle, we needed a change.”  
“I know this gonna sound lame, but I'm so sorry for your loss...”, said Octavia, with a compassionate look. Clarke was used to these look filled with sympathy, and it didn't piss her as much as it used to.  
“Thank you, but it was a long time ago, I got over it too.”, she answered with a smile. “I chose to remember only the good things of him, like when he taught me how to draw, or to ski. My mom always says that I'm exactly like him, I apparently have his kindness and everything that she loved about him.”  
“You can ski ?” asked feverishly Octavia.  
“Yes, of course, I was practically born on skis ! Why ?  
“I'm a member of the ski-club of Abondance, why don't you join us after class ?  
“Uhmmmm...”, said Clarke. She hadn't anything planned after her school day, but she didn't want to mess into the club's dynamic. “I wouldn't want to disturb your group...” she said shyly.  
“No no no, you won't ! Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends, you will adore them, and they will love you too, I'll promise !”, begged Octavia.  
Clarke smiled at her enthusiasm. Maybe it was time for her to start to fit into a group, rather than having a single friend, like what she had experienced during all the past years with Wells.  
“Okay, but I'll just watch you from the bottom of the slopes, yon won't get me on skis !”  
“If that's what you want, as long as you're there with us !”, winked Octavia.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day went by in the blink of an eye. If it hadn't been for Octavia, Clarke would have thought otherwise. The girl had talked to her all the time, always asking questions about her past, her plans for the future and so many other things and she seemed unstoppable. Also, Clarke couldn't help but feel a dash of impatience when she thought of the afterclass at the skiclub. Although she hadn't ski in a while, she could sense the tension in her body at the the idea of going on skis again and feel the tiny snowflakes melt on her skin, the view of the breathtaking and majestuous reliefs, and the infinite sensation of freedom.  
As Clarke & Octavia were in her car to meet her friends from the skiclub, Octavia started to introduce her to the guys who seemed as special and... enthousiastic as her.   
“You gotta like Jasper & Monty, they're so lovely ! They're like the little brothers I never had, they couldn't be any different from Bell and that's why I like them ; he can be so serious and even a bummer sometimes, so Monty & Jasper are basically my breath of fresh air.  
\- Come on, he can't be that much on your ass !  
\- You bet ! He's the archetype of the protective bear mom, joked Octavia. Look, here we are ! This is the station."  
As Clarke was checking out of the window, she saw a bunch of cars on the parking lot, then behind a small cabin next to the fast chairlift placed into a stunning rocky landscape.  
"They aren't a lot of people, she noticed.  
\- Yes, the holidays only start next week, only the localscome ski and us for the training of course.  
\- Thank God, it will be quiet then. I hate when people pile up on another, you can't breathe, it's unbearable !  
\- Don't worry, it's a small station so it isn't noisy at all, reassured her Octavia.  
Suddenly, a loud bang resonated on Clarke's side window. She jumped with surprise on her seat, until she realized the object that had hit the window was just a snowball. She started breathing again when she heard Octavia's laugh.   
"You've go to be kidding me, they didn't dare ! Jasper ! Monty !, she yelled while walking out of the car. Come here ! I know it's you !"  
Clarke opened her door and found herself face to face with two young men who were holding their laughs in their throat.  
"We've been more creative when it comes to pranks., said one.  
\- Oh yeah, we've done much worse ! Ask Octavia about the one time with the mouse and the balloon., continued the other.  
\- Uuuuuummm... I'm not really sure I want to., answered Clarke, frowning her eyebrows. I guess you guys are Monty and Jasper ?   
\- I'm Monty, both said at the same time.   
\- Come on, tell me your names from the start, and then do me all the pranks you want.  
\- I'm Jasper., said the tall dark-haired with the ciseled face.   
\- I'm Monty., answered said the small one with a lot of kindness in his eyes. And you are... ?  
\- Clarke, hi. I'm from the USA, I just moved here. I met O today at my new school today, and she invited me here, so that I can consider joining the ski-club.  
\- The more, the merrier !, shouted Octavia. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone else."

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

After twenty long minutes in the clubhouse, Clarke was feeling home. Everyone she had met so far had been so friendly to her that it was like they had known each other for their entire life. She had met Monroe, Harper, Jasper, Monty, Wick and others who had kindly welcomed her into their group. She had also been introduced to Lincoln, the trainer of the club. The tall and silent coach seemed respected and admired bu his troop, who had assured Clarke he was the best in his field. When she had mentionned her former skills in ski, and asked about a potential spot in the club, he had looked at her with his wise eyes and answered with a friendly wink. After that, she had started blending into the group when Lincoln called them all.   
"Classic training today, guys. Let's see if any of you has made a hint of progress since last week.  
\- Come on, you know we're the finest, said Jasper with an exagerated wink and a duck face. They all laughed at his funny face but then the calm returned in front of Lincoln.   
\- Can I remind you we are competiting against Mount Weather this weekend, among others ?  
A collective "ugh" escaped from the assemblee.  
"What is Mont Weather ?, whispered Clarke to Octavia.  
\- Our sworn ennemies. They all come from this fancy private school, and that's why they think they're the greatest this earth ever borne. The problem is that they won't hesitate to cheat or use any other tricky mean to win a competition. We're about the same level as them and we can fortunately win without any illegality and they can't stand that.  
\- You bet !  
\- Let's go, gear up !, shooted Lincoln at the same time.  
All the people enthusiatically put their shoes on, plus their custom jacket and grabbed their skis.  
"What do I do ?, asked Clarke to Lincoln.  
\- Stay at the bottom of the slope, watch and learn., he answered. I'm sorry you can't go up with us, but it will more safe, since you're not geared up.  
\- It's okay, I totally get it. That's actually all O promised me in the first place.   
\- We'll just take the first chairlift, then go at the top of this slope here, see ? This way you'll be able to admire all the fine athletes we have to offer here."   
Clarke laughed. They all seemed indeed among the finest she had ever seen ! But the most important was that they all seemed passionate about their sport and she liked that. "I guess I could fit in easily. A new family would be nice."

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

One after the other, the skiers did their show in front of Clarke, who was impressed. It looked like Lincoln was doing a great job with his trainees : each one was practically attacking the gates on the slope and showing an adroit mix of skilled technic and personal touch. Among them all, Octavia was clearly the best, with her self-confidence melted into her technical knowledge ; besides, her athletic self allowed her to race race like a flash through the gates.   
"Truth said, I don't think I can join the club, you guys are impressive !, she shared with Lincoln, who was timing each competitor.  
\- And you didn't see the best., answered Lincoln.   
Clarke frowned. From what she had seen, the level of skills was already pretty high and she hardly saw how someone could be better than O or any of the guys.  
"Really ? The one you're talking about must be a champion !, she said ironically.  
\- See for yourself !, he added with a raised eyebrow.   
\- But everyone one's already here ., she said, confused.  
\- You're sure about that ?"  
Clarke looked again at the group : everyone she had met was accounted for. But then her eye got caught by two colored stains at the top of the slope but it was too far for her to see who it was.   
"I thought I had seen everyone !, she said, turning her head toward Lincoln. They are in the club as well ?  
\- Yes, they were already up when you and Octavia got here. Come on, take a look and I dare you to say they don't belong with this club."  
As they were talking, one of the stain got closer to the edge of the slope. Then Clarke thought she was hallucinating when she saw the speed and the talent of the guy on the slope. Everything in this skier was calculated to get closer to the gates not to loose any tiny second. The amount of skills in this guy was astonishing.   
"Come on, this is a professional, right ?, she asked Lincoln.   
He smiled at her and she turned her eyes again. The stain was quickly getting closer but didn't seem to slow down ; on the contrary, it was gaining speed.   
"He's gonna hit us if he continues like this. He's got to stop !, she said to Octavia.  
\- Don't worry, he knows what he's doing."  
But Clarke didn't feel reassured by O's words. However, her rationnal side was telling her the guy knew how to stop since he was so good, but deep down she couldn't help feeling some fear at the idea of being hit by a crazy skier.  
Till the last moment, the skier hadn't seem to want to stop. As she was closing her eyes in order to avoid the terrible impact that was going to happen, she let a gasp escape her mouth when she felt the cold snow hit her bare face. Immediately, she started to scream, frozen by the ice that had gotten inside her coat.  
"Come on, who's the asshole who did this ? I swear I'm going to destro you !, she yelled, blinded by the snow.  
\- Is that so, princess ? You really wanna do that ?, laughed sarcastically a warm, deep, but mocking voice.  
\- Hell I'll do that !, she said while turning to face the dumbass reponsible for her freezing. She had to step back to look at the tall, heavily-build guy who was standing in front of her. "That's a huge amount of freckles", was her first thought as she was detailing the warm, chocolate eyes, the handsome face burned by the sun.  
\- And who might you be, golden boy ?, she said with an acerbic voice.  
\- Me ? I'm Bellamy Blake.


	3. CHAPTER 3

"And I'm telling you we shouldn't do this !  
\- Oh come on, princess ?! Of course we have to, it's the only way ! But I forgot, you obviously are way smarter than any of us, am I right ?”  
Octavia forced out her worried face.  
“ When are they gonna stop yelling at each other ?   
\- I bet you ten bucks Bellamy murders her first, Jasper got started. He doesn't have that much self-control, right O ?”  
She rolled her eyes in the back of her head, still she knew Jasper was right. As she had seen it for the past month, Clarke and Bellamy had started an explosive relationship made of yelling at each other and never-ending arguments about the ski team. Every time, it ended up being insults at each other and Lincoln had to separate them threatening to throw them out of the team. Every time, they made reluctantly apologies and promised they wouldn't do it again, acting as if they were kids, but they would start again inevitably.   
Inside the club-house, Clarke's eyes were starring fiercely at Bellamy, and even though she was two heads shorter than him, she would stand proudly, holding her head up like a queen would do. Bellamy was standing on the other side of the table where a map representing the slopes of their next competition was spread. For the hundreth time in an half-hour, he rose his eyes to the ceiling and exhaled calmly. God, how could he be turned uspide down by this chit of a girl ! With her stubborness and her pride, she was going on his nerves like no one had ever done. She always thought she knew better than anyone, and he had to admit she was one of the smartest people he had ever met, but also one of the most annoying ! Because she had been raised by a famous surgeon, owned a lot of money, and had been to the finest schools, she seemed to think she could give orders to everyone and no other way than hers was viable. But the skiclub was his ground and he would do whatever the hell he wanted.   
So he pulled on his "I-am-the-king" face and smiled contemptuously at Clarke and gave her the little smirk she hated so much. Oh, that cockyness of his that she despised more than anyhting ! He knew it drove her mad, and moreover it only made him look more handsome, with that bad boy look every girl liked, beside her of course. Or maybe just a little bit ; she had to admit he was easy on the eye, with broad shoulders, a muscled yet thin body ciseled by all the practice he was doing every week. She shook her head to wipe this thought out of her head. Come on, she couldn't be checking Bellamy "pain-in-her-ass" Blake out like a horny teenager ! If the worst came to the worst, she could acknowledge he was a fine athlete, but she always thought how mocking, awful, exasperating he was on the inside and immediately his sexyness was on the same level as the one of an oyster.   
So she pulled on her "I-am-the-queen" face and stared him disdainfully.   
" It's all about the maths of the route, she said, speaking to him as if he was a five-year-old. If you take this bend at this exact angle, you can win at least 1.5 second and that could make the difference in the end !  
\- And I'm telling you, again, it is physically impossible for us to take this turn more tightend ! I have been on this slope before and I can promise you it is always frozen at this exact spot. We can barely hold on the ice so don't try to complicate it more than it already is !  
\- Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't thought it was so hard for you to take the turn a little bit higher to grip on the snow !, she threw at him on a mocking voice.  
\- It. Is. Impossible ! How many times do I have to repeat it ?!, he responded. Or is it just the fact that you can't believe anything that comes out of my mouth ? It's just too much for you to admit I am right, isn't it ?, he snapped back at her.  
\- Oh, I'm way over your stupid wish to be the one who's right, I'm not five anymore !  
\- And yet you're still arguing with me, Princess ! I bet you hate taking that crown off your head to give it to someone else.  
\- Don't you dare calling me Princess again !, she yelled, her face blushing under the anger.  
\- Whoa, kids, calm down ! One can hear you screaming from the other side of the parking.  
They were so taken into their argument that they hadn't heard Lincoln come into the house, carrying a pair of skis.   
" If I remember correctly, I asked you, Bell, to prepare our strategy for this weekend, is it done yet ?, he asked, with a little smile painted on his face as if he knew things didn't went... well, correctly.  
\- I was totally into it, and then Princess over here..  
\- For Christ's sake, Blake, what did I just tell you ?!, Clarke said furiously.  
\- You see ?, said Bellamy. She can't help herself to just storm into my plans and ruin everything !  
\- Please, be gentle enough to remind me, how old the both of you are ?, Lincoln said kindly.  
An embarassed silence answered him.  
\- Yeah, that's what I'd figured. The tall man starred mockingly at the two targeted. I'll take it from here, you can go, but please spare us more bloody talks, I would hate to have t call the police for a ridiculous turn of event.  
\- Ok., Clarke mumbled.  
\- Got'it., answered Bellamy.  
\- Fine., she immediately said after him.  
After all, she couldn't let him have the final word !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it ! Sorry if this chapter is way longer than the others, I just got into writing and I couldn't stop. Also, thank you for the hits and kudos, hope you like it so far !  
> Also, I wanted to apologize in advance if Bellamy and Clarke are a bit childish. It is just that I can picture their arguments, their faces and everything perfectly in my head, but when it comes to write it down, I'm limited bc English isn't my mother tongue and I can't find the exact words that would describe the scene. Anyway, I hope you'll stick to the story despite of my tactlessness and thank you once again for eveything !


End file.
